Louise Minchin: BBC star speaks out on PTSD ordeal and ‘terrifying’ moment that sparked it

LOUISE MINCHIN, BBC Breakfast presenter alongside Dan Walker, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following the birth of her eldest daughter, which was a driving point for her to join forces with Sports Relief.

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Louise Minchin, 51, is one of the faces of BBC Breakfast but many might be surprised to read that behind the scenes she has suffered with post-traumatic stress disorder. Following the arrival of her first daughter Mia, who is now 18 years old, the anxiety disorder was sparked after Louise burst her appendix six days after giving birth.

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It’s all such a blur, I was so ill, and I was in hospital for about a week

Louise Minchin

Taking nine months to recover, she described that point in her life as “terrifying” in an interview with the Radio Times.

“When my daughter was born, my appendix burst six days later, which was terrifying,” Louise said.

“It’s all such a blur, I was so ill, and I was in hospital for about a week. It took nine months to feel physically better, but that’s when it hit me emotionally, and I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.”

The admission comes after Louise signed up to take part in this year’s Sports Relief challenge called On Thin Ice, an epic adventure on Mongolia that would see a group of courageous celebs take on a gruelling triathlon with a perilous icy twist.

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The charity effort would raise money for numerous organisations, some of which are dedicated to helping people who are struggling with their mental health.

Speaking of her diagnosis, Louise explained: “My GP put me in touch with a charity, and I met an amazing woman there. I saw her a couple of times and she put me back on the road to recovery.

“So [the challenge] is a thank you to that person, to that charity, and to help people who are in similar positions to the one I was in then, so that they might have somebody that they can go and see. That’s why I’m doing it.”

Alas, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the whole thing was called off for fears of spreading the virus further.

Louise Minchin joined a group of celebs to take on the gruelling adventure (Image: GETTY)

Louise Minchin was gearing up for freezing temperatures (Image: GETTY)